DR Congo reports 10,060 Ebola cases in outbreak

Health authorities in DR Congo reported on Oct. 28 that an Ebola outbreak identified in mid-May had reached 10,060 cases and 4,887 deaths, a Deutsche Welle news report distributed by AllAfrica said.

The Oct. 28 news report said the outbreak involves the Bundibugyo virus, for which there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment. The deaths equal 48.6% of reported cases, according to Atlas360 calculations, underscoring the severity of the tally.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has described it as the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history. The strain has fewer available countermeasures than the Ebola virus strain for which the Ervebo vaccine is approved and recommended.

The outbreak has also crossed borders. Kenya has confirmed nine infections, including two deaths, after a patient travelled from DR Congo through Uganda to Nairobi.

Nigeria confirmed one infection in a Swiss woman, identified as the wife of a Swiss diplomat, who became ill after visiting Uganda. Authorities are investigating where she contracted the virus, and she was evacuated to Switzerland.

Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person. It can cause fever, diarrhea and, in some cases, bleeding.

Containment can be delayed because early symptoms may resemble malaria, a common disease in parts of the region. That overlap can slow isolation and treatment when cases are first detected.

The absence of an approved vaccine or specific treatment against Bundibugyo complicates the health response. Ervebo is currently approved and recommended only against Ebola virus, formerly known as Zaire ebolavirus.

Clinical trials of two antiviral treatment approaches have been underway since July. Two further trials are investigating whether Ervebo can protect against the Bundibugyo virus.

Source: news report, Deutsche Welle via AllAfrica, Oct. 28, 2026